St Kilda players celebrate their win over Fremantle in R1, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

TRIPLE premiership player Darryl White saw enough from St Kilda in the opening round to believe they can defy the doubters and play finals in 2023.

The Saints produced the biggest upset of round one, holding off Fremantle by 15 points in the first game of Ross Lyon's second stint at the club.

The Saints currently have a staggering 15 players on their injury list and were unfancied at the start of the season, with none of AFL.com.au's experts picking them to finish higher than 13th.

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Ahead of their clash with the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night, White says he saw enough in the opening round to be convinced the Saints can be a factor in September.

"The Saints were relentless," White, who was part of Brisbane's premiership three-peat two decades ago, said on Yokayi Footy this week.

"They were awesome from the half-back line ... (Jack) Sinclair, (Josh) Battle, (Callum) Wilkie just came out at will from there.

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"They just controlled it from the back half, ended up getting a stranglehold on the game and it was awesome to watch.

"I think they can make the top eight, the Saints. I think they can get that seventh or eighth (spot).

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"With Ross the coach, they're a different side already ... their run both ways was fantastic."

White also singled out ruckman Rowan Marshall for his performance against Fremantle, and praised Jade Gresham for his forward pressure.

Brad Crouch, Jack Steele and Mattaes Phillipou after the R1 match between St Kilda and Fremantle at Marvel Stadium on March 19, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

"He was just a livewire in that forward line," White said of Gresham.

"Every time it went in there, he kept it in there."

While the Saints will again take a depleted side into their clash against the Bulldogs on Saturday night, the return of Marcus Windhager from injury should improve the side's running capacity, which so impressed White against the Dockers.

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"He's one of our best runners," Lyon said of Windhager, who is returning from a broken right hand.

"There was big raps on him when he came through but I haven't got a lot of coaching capital with him because we only had the two practice games and he got injured in the first one within the first five minutes. But his run and his versatility speaks volumes."

Yokayi Footy is broadcast on Wednesdays at 8.30pm AEDT on AFL.com.au, the AFL Live app, NITV and SBS On Demand